1. Field
This field is generally related to network routing.
2. Related Art
A communication network may, for example, provide a dedicated network connection that allows data to be transferred between two or more geographically remote locations. For example, an Ethernet network may provide an Ethernet E-line between those locations. While dedicated network connections may be advantageous in some respects, they may be limited in that they only allow for communication between those discrete, preidentified locations.
In addition to dedicated network connections, a communication network may also provide connectivity that is not necessarily dedicated. For example, traditional routing algorithms allow packets to be forwarded based on a destination address identified in a packet header. In this way, using the destination address, a packet can be routed to any destination in the network.
While routing data based on the destination address may be advantageous in many circumstances, it also limits the flexibility. In particular, a user may want to route the packet based on criteria other than destination address. Policy-based routing (PBR) provides the ability to route data based on other criteria, including source or destination port, protocol, packet size, and packet classification. However, configuring policy-based routing across a network may be cumbersome.